Leslie Kern, PhD, is the author of three books about cities, including Gentrification Is Inevitable And Other Lies (Verso, 2022) and Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World (Verso, 2021). Her work engages city builders, policymakers, and urban citizens in transforming cities into more just, equitable, and sustainable places. Her latest book, with Roberta Hawkins, is Higher Expectations: How to Survive Academia, Make it Better for Others, and Transform the University (BLB Books, 2024). Leslie was an associate professor of geography and environment and feminist and gender studies at Mount Allison University from 2009-2024, before leaving to focus on writing, consulting, and coaching. Her research has earned a Fulbright Visiting Scholar Award, a National Housing Studies Achievement Award, and several national multi-year grants. Leslie’s writing has appeared in The Guardian, Vox, Bloomberg CityLab, LitHub, and Refinery29, and in her Substack newsletter, Perfectly Cromulent. She is also an academic career coach, where she helps academics find meaning and joy in their work.